Bottle caps capable of being used as interlocking blocks

ABSTRACT

Disclosed in the present invention is a novel bottle cap having interlocking function in addition to its function as a conventional bottle cap, whereby a plurality of the caps can be interlocked together to make desired geometrical constructs for entertainment, education, or collection purpose. Also disclosed are methods of reusing bottle caps so that littering of bottle caps to the environment can be reduced.

TECHNICAL FIELDS

The present invention relates generally to novel bottle caps capable of being used as interlocking blocks.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

Bottle caps are used in conjunction with corresponding bottles to enclose certain liquid materials including water, soft drinks, juices, and other natural/artificial drinks. Bottle caps are made of plastic mostly and some are made of metallic materials. Generally, a bottle cap appears like a hollow cylinder with inner thread to match and engage with the outer thread of a bottleneck to screw/unscrew to close/open a bottle. Once the content in a bottle is used up or no longer needed, the bottle cap becomes useless and is often thrown away and may be a problem for the environment. One specific type of drink, drinking water, is being widely distributed in plastic bottles; recovering and/or recycling for the caps of this type of bottles is a significant problem.

The objective of this invention is to find a novel way to make bottle caps reusable to reduce environmental impact and to achieve entertainment, education, or collection purpose.

Disclosed in the present invention is a novel bottle cap having interlocking capability in addition to its function as a conventional bottle cap to enclose desirable content in a bottle, whereby a plurality of the novel caps can be used as interlocking blocks to make desired geometrical constructs for entertainment, education, or collection purpose. The novel bottle cap disclosed in the present invention is hereinafter referred to as a blocked-cap.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,371,146 by Scarborough relates to an improved construction toy set having a number of different structural elements which are configured for snapping together. Although may be snapped together with a bottle cap but it is not part of the bottle cap. In addition, it can be used totally without a bottle cap. Therefore, it is only remotely related to the present invention and does not have the characteristics of the present invention. In addition, unlike the present invention, this prior art does not achieve the objectives of reusing bottle caps for entertainment, education, or collection purpose and discourage consumers from throwing away bottle caps.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The blocked-cap disclosed in the present invention is essentially made of plastic, metal, composite material, and the combination thereof by using standard industrial technology. For example, when made by plastic, the blocked-cap can be made by plastic injection molding technology. Also, the blocked-cap can be in predetermined suitable shapes including cylinder, square cuboid (right square prism), pentahedron, and heptahedron. The preferred physical shape is substantially a square cuboid (right square prism) with a cylindrical hole having suitable inner thread so that the blocked-cap can be screwed onto a bottleneck and function as a normal bottle cap in additional to its interlocking property described in the present invention.

The blocked-cap has one or a plurality of extrusions and indentations as the engaging points to be interlocked with other such blocked-caps from all sides to form desired geometrical constructs. The preferred extrusions on the top of the blocked-cap may be cylindrical so that the blocked-cap can be interlocked with another such blocked-cap pressed on top. Said extrusions/indentations on the side of the blocked-cap may be dovetails so that the blocked-cap can be interlocked side by side with other such blocked-cap(s) by sliding dovetail.

The main mechanism for a blocked-cap to interlock with other such blocked-caps comprises

-   -   (1) compression between the extrusion(s) and the indentation(s)         on the top/bottom of individual blocked-caps, and/or (2) sliding         of the dovetail extrusions/indentations on the side of         individual blocked-caps.

Optionally, the blocked-cap can be painted/printed/carved with specific color, design, number, and/or letter on the top so that when a group of such blocked-caps are interlocked side by side in a predetermined arrangement, a specific picture or design can be displayed. This is similar to putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

Also disclosed in the present invention is a method of achieving entertainment, education, or collection purpose by providing a plurality of the blocked-caps and interlocking the blocked-caps to make desired geometrical construct. This is similar to putting together Lego pieces. When putting together the blocked-caps, a plurality of the blocked-caps can be used with special auxiliary pieces, having a variety of sizes and shapes, made to fit the blocked-caps so that essentially all geometrical constructs can be made.

Also disclosed in the present invention is a method of reusing bottle caps by utilizing the blocked-caps according to the description above for entertainment, education, or collection purpose caps whereby littering of conventional bottle caps to the environment can be reduced.

Based on the above descriptions, the present invention has a number of advantages as compared to conventional bottle caps. Disclosed in the present invention is a novel bottle cap that not only maintains the original function as a bottle cap but also can be used as an interlocking piece to make many geometrical constructs in a plurality. Therefore, the interlocking caps can be collectibles and used for entertainment, education, or collection purpose. In addition, the present invention reduces littering of the bottle caps and is beneficial for environment. To make it more clear and understandable, further details of the present invention are illustrated by the following drawings:

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2

Perspective views of a blocked-cap from the top and bottom are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 3

A cross section showing a blocked-cap screwed on a corresponding bottleneck.

FIG. 4

A sample geometric construct made by the blocked-caps.

FIG. 5

A cross-section of one blocked-cap put on top of another blocked-cap.

FIG. 6

A sample geometrical construct made by the blocked-caps.

FIG. 7

A horizontal view from the bottom of a sample geometrical construct made by a few blocked-caps.

FIG. 8

A two-dimensional picture made by a group of blocked-caps.

FIGS. 9, 10

Illustrations of example 2

FIGS. 11, 12

Illustrations of example 3

FIGS. 13, 14, 15

Sample arrangements as explained in example 3

FIGS. 16, 17

Perspective view and horizontal cross section of another type of cylindrical extrusion having one or a plurality of thin extrusion lines parallel to the axis.

FIG. 18

A cross section of a sample arrangement of two blocked-caps as described in example 3.

FIGS. 19, 20

Perspective view of a different type of indentation and a cross section showing the engagement between such an indentation (of one locked-cap) and an extrusion (of another blocked-cap).

Major Parts 1, 1a Body of the blocked-cap 101, 101a Cylindrical extrusions 10, 10a Top of the blocked-cap 110 Hole (for bottleneck)  11 Bottom of the blocked- 112 Inner thread cap 111, 111a Cylindrical indentation 120 Indentation (Dovetail)  12 Side of the blocked-cap 121 Extrusion (Dovetail)  2 Bottle  21 Bottleneck  3 Design pattern  31 Jigsaw-like units  4 Body of the blocked-cap  40 Cylindrical extrusion  41 Cylindrical indentation  5 Thin extrusion lines  6 Body of the blocked-cap  60 Hole (for bottleneck) 601 Inner thread 61a, Cylindrical extrusion 61b, 61c 610 Contact point 611 Spacing between extrusions

EXAMPLE 1

Perspective views of a blocked-cap from the top and bottom are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Details of this blocked-cap example include the body 1, the top 10, the bottom 11 (having a cylindrical opening 110 with inner thread 112), the side 12, and other details. This blocked-cap has several small cylindrical extrusions 101 (which fit snuggly into small cylindrical indentations 111 on the bottom 11) on the top 10 so that this blocked-cap can be assembled together with anther such blocked-cap on top or bottom by compressing together. This blocked-cap also has several dovetail extrusions 121 and indentations 120 on the side 12. One blocked-cap can be interlocked with the other blocked-cap side by side by sliding dovetail.

As shown in FIG. 3, the inner thread 112 can be used to screw on the outer thread of the bottleneck 21 of a bottle 2.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show several different arrangements for the blocked-caps. Therefore, a variety of horizontal and vertical arrangements can be made to form many different geometrical constructs. FIG. 5 shows a cross-section of the top-bottom connection between two blocked-caps. FIG. 7 shows a horizontal view from the bottom of the side-by-side interlocking among several blocked-caps.

FIG. 8 shows a two-dimensional picture 3 made by fifty four pieces of jigsaw-like units 31 (made of the blocked-caps 1 a), each pre-printed with a predetermined color/pattern/number on the top 10 a. In this case, there is no need to have the extrusion or indention on the top 101 or bottom 111 of the blocked-cap. The top of each blocked-cap can also be carved in a predetermined pattern so that, when a group of the blocked-caps are properly interconnected, a two-dimensional picture can be displayed. Said carved pattern can be made by standard plastic injection technique using a suitable mode.

EXAMPLE 2

Another example is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 which show the body of the blocked-cap 4 and related structural details. The connecting points comprise a cylindrical extrusion 40 on top of the body 4 and a matching cylindrical tube 41 on the inside so that when one such blocked-cap is aligned and pressed on top of the other blocked-cap, they are compressed to be connected together and may be pulled apart from each other.

EXAMPLE 3

Another example is illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 which show blocked-cap body 6 and related structure. The body 6 is essentially the same as illustrated in Example 1, but the interlocking parts are somewhat different. In this example, there are two types of cylindrical extrusion on the top of the blocked-cap 6, hollow cylinder 61 a and solid cylinder 61 b, located at suitable positions so that each can have a contact point touching the inner wall of the hole 60 so that when one blocked-caps is pressed onto the other blocked-cap, they can stay together. The hole 60 having inner thread 601 to fit the outer thread of the bottleneck of a bottle. In addition, the spacing 611 between 61 a and 61 b is suitable determined so that arrangements like those in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 can be made.

FIG. 13 is another configuration made by the blocked-caps with a cross section (cut along A-A line) shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 15 is another configuration in which the top blocked-cap is turned upside down.

FIGS. 16 and 17 show another type of cylindrical extrusion 101 a having one or a plurality of thin extrusion lines 5 parallel to the axis so that when the cylindrical extrusion 101 a is pushed in or out of the cylindrical indentation, there is less friction. This makes it easier to assemble or disassemble a construct.

FIG. 18 shows yet another cylindrical extrusion 61 c on the blocked-cap so that a blocked-cap can be inverted and pressed to connect with another blocked-cap.

FIG. 19 shows another type of configuration of the blocked-cap in that the indentation is essentially the open space shown by 111 a. In this case, the four extrusions are made so that each fits snuggly into 111 a. The advantage is that this configuration can save significant amount of material. This type of indentation 111 a can also be used in Example 1 and Example 2.

The blocked-cap disclosed in the present invention can be made by different materials, including plastic, metal, composite material, and the combination thereof using standard industrial technology. For example, when made by plastic, the blocked-cap can be made by injection. Also, the blocked-cap can be in essentially all suitable shapes including cylinder, square cuboid (right square prism), pentahedron, and heptahedron.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular means, materials and embodiments, from the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of the present invention and various changes and modifications can be made to adapt the various uses and characteristics without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as described above and set forth in the attached claims. 

1. A novel bottle cap having interlocking capability in addition to its function as a conventional bottle cap, whereby a plurality of the novel caps can be used as interlocking blocks to make desired geometrical constructs for entertainment, education, or collection purpose, whereby the novel bottle cap is referred to as a blocked-cap.
 2. The blocked-cap according to claim 1 wherein the physical shape of the blocked-cap is substantially a square cuboid (right square prism) with a cylindrical hole having suitable inner thread so that the blocked-cap can be screwed onto a bottleneck and function as a normal bottle cap.
 3. The blocked-cap according to claim 2 having one or a plurality of extrusions and indentations as the engaging points to be interlocked with other such blocked-caps to form desired geometrical constructs.
 4. The blocked-cap according to claim 2 wherein one or a plurality of extrusions/indentations are on the top/bottom so that the blocked-cap can be interlocked with another such blocked-cap on top or bottom.
 5. The blocked-cap according to claim 2 wherein one or a plurality of dovetail extrusions and/or indentations are on the side so that the blocked-cap can be interlocked side by side with other such blocked-cap(s) by sliding dovetail.
 6. The blocked-cap according to claim 2 wherein the main mechanism of interlocking with other such blocked-caps comprises (1) compression between the extrusion(s) and the indentation(s) on the top/bottom of individual blocked-caps, and/or (2) sliding of the dovetail extrusions/indentations on the side of individual blocked-caps.
 7. The blocked-cap according to claim 2 having its top painted/printed/carved with specific color/design/number/letter so that when a group of such blocked-caps are interlocked side by side in a predetermined arrangement, a specific picture/design can be displayed in a way similar to a jigsaw puzzle.
 8. The blocked-cap according to claim 1 wherein the blocked-cap is essentially made of plastic, composite material, metal, or the combination thereof.
 9. The blocked-cap according to claim 1 wherein the blocked-cap, substantially in the same shape as a novel bottle cap, comprises one or a plurality of cylindrical extrusions on the top and matching cylindrical tube on the inside (FIG. 10) so that when one such blocked-cap is aligned and pressed on top of the other blocked-cap, they are connected together.
 10. A method of achieving entertainment, education, or collection purpose by providing a plurality of the blocked-caps according to claim 1 and interlocking the blocked-caps to make desired geometrical constructs.
 11. The method according to claim 10 wherein a plurality of the blocked-caps can be used with special auxiliary pieces, having a variety of sizes and shapes, made to fit the blocked-caps so that essentially all geometrical constructs can be made.
 12. A method of reusing bottle caps by utilizing the blocked-caps according to claim 1 for entertainment, education, or collection purpose whereby littering of conventional bottle caps to the environment can be reduced. 